Recipes & Tips
Our culinary team at Catering Works strives to create new and exciting recipes! Here are features from the January Tasting Night:
Pimento Cheese Risotto
Creamy Risotto with pimento's, olives and hoop cheddar.
BBQ Shrimp & Grits Napoleon
Bacon wrapped shrimp grilled and basted in southern style BBQ sauce and served over layers of white and yellow grits.
Southern Stuffed Peppadew
Peppadew peppers stuffed with cream cheese and country ham and roasted to perfection.
Cocktail Crab Cake with Caperberry Remoulade
Jumbo lump crab meat, seasoned with sauteed vegetables and spices presented with remoulade sauce and sliced caperberry.
Tuna Meatballs
Yellowfin tuna roasted and served with a tomato jam.
Chicken and Waffles
Miniature house rendition of classic chicken and waffles.
Oyster Bellini
Crispy Parmesan fried oyster served on a bellini with a smoked tomato hollandaise.
Carolina Spring Roll
A Southern spin on an Asian favorite; local vegetables, swiss chard and bacon rolled into rice paper and finished with a bourbon pecan soy glaze.
Grilled Onion Soup Shooter
Grilled French Onion soup topped with a foccacia crouton and baked Gruyere
Rainbow Pastries
Almond sponge cake layered with Lemon, Raspberry and Chocolate buttercreams.
Macaroons (French Style)
Delicate meringue filled with buttercreams, ganaches or jams. A classic French sandwich cookie that is a must on any petit four tray!
Financier
These delicious, traditional Parisian petit fours are truly something special. Tonight’s features include plain with almond and Blueberry
White Chocolate Banana Cream Tarts
Fresh pastry filled with caramelized bananas, white chocolate mousse and garnished with white chocolate curls.
Festive Salad
Yield 10 Servings
10 oz. Arugula
5 oz. Pecans
2 TBSP Honey
2 oz. Dried Cherries
3 oz. Bleu Cheese Crumbles
Pomegranate Salad Dressing
Coat pecans in honey and toast. Mix all ingredients and top with Pomegranate Dressing.
8 oz Pomegranate Juice
1 cup Cranberry Juice
2 TBSP Honey
2 oz. Banyuls Vinegar
2 cups Virgin Olive Oil
Reduce Pomegranate Juice and Cranberry Juice to 2 cups, add honey and vinegar and mix in blender, pour olive oil in to emulsify.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs
20 Calmyrna Figs
10 oz. Goat Cheese (we prefer Elodie Farms)
3 tsp Fresh Thyme
Cracked Black Pepper and Lemon Sea Salt to taste
Chestnut Honey
Mix goat cheese, chopped thyme and salt and pepper. Stuff figs and roast at 425 for about 10 minutes, until bubbly. Remove from heat and drizzle with Chestnut Honey.
Beef Tenderloin Roasted with Rosemary and Basil
Serves 10
5 lbs Beef Tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 cup Worstershire Sauce
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
Make a marinade out of the first four ingredients and marinade meat for 2 hours. Spread with Dijon and sprinkle with herbs. Roast at 350 until internal temperature reads 120. Slice and serve with Au Jus.
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin with Manchego Cheese
Yield: 12 servings
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 pound peeled butternut squash, quartered lengthwise*
1 pound peeled and trimmed sweet potatoes**
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cups shredded Manchego cheese (or Gruyère)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small pot bring cream and garlic just to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Butter a 9″x13″ shallow casserole dish or gratin dish of similar size and set aside. Stir the cooling cream to help prevent skin from forming. Build the Gratin in the buttered casserole dish, spread half of the sliced butternut squash out in a single overlapping layer. Sprinkle the squash with 1/3 of the salt, pepper, and thyme and then about 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Using half of the sliced sweet potatoes, build a new overlapping layer. Again sprinkle with 1/3 of the seasonings and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Using the remaining squash, make another layer and sprinkle the last third of the seasonings and another 1/2 cup of cheese (you should have about 1/2 cup cheese remaining). Use the last of the sweet potatoes to make one final layer on top. Stir the garlic cream mixture then pour it evenly over the top of the gratin, being sure to cover the top layer of sweet potatoes. Shake the dish gently to distribute the cream. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake the Gratin: Cover the dish with foil and bake in the middle of a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, move the gratin to the top 1/3 of the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. You may also place it under the broiler for a few minutes if you wish the top to be a deeper brown (but watch it closely!). Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing. *
Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes
Serves 24
1 1/2 cup cake flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup plain lowfat yogurt
1 3/4 Cup canned pumpkin (15 oz. can)
1 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup lightly-packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the yogurt, pumpkin, vinegar, and vanilla extract, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Alternately beat in the flour and pumpkin mixtures in thirds (for example, beat in 1/3 flour mixture followed by 1/3 pumpkin mixture and repeat until everything is combined). Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
Working quickly, spoon batter into cupcake cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Place cupcake pans in the center of the preheated 350 degree oven and bake approximately 25 minutes. Cupcakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes then remove cupcakes from pans and let cool completely on the wire racks. While cupcakes are cooling, prepare cream cheese frosting (recipe follows). When cupcakes are completely cool, spread with frosting.
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 Cup unsalted butter, softened
2 Cup powdered sugar
1/4. t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. fresh ground nutmeg
In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If frosting is too soft, chill in fridge for 15-20 minutes.
Pimento Cheese Risotto
Creamy Risotto with pimento's, olives and hoop cheddar.
BBQ Shrimp & Grits Napoleon
Bacon wrapped shrimp grilled and basted in southern style BBQ sauce and served over layers of white and yellow grits.
Southern Stuffed Peppadew
Peppadew peppers stuffed with cream cheese and country ham and roasted to perfection.
Cocktail Crab Cake with Caperberry Remoulade
Jumbo lump crab meat, seasoned with sauteed vegetables and spices presented with remoulade sauce and sliced caperberry.
Tuna Meatballs
Yellowfin tuna roasted and served with a tomato jam.
Chicken and Waffles
Miniature house rendition of classic chicken and waffles.
Oyster Bellini
Crispy Parmesan fried oyster served on a bellini with a smoked tomato hollandaise.
Carolina Spring Roll
A Southern spin on an Asian favorite; local vegetables, swiss chard and bacon rolled into rice paper and finished with a bourbon pecan soy glaze.
Grilled Onion Soup Shooter
Grilled French Onion soup topped with a foccacia crouton and baked Gruyere
Rainbow Pastries
Almond sponge cake layered with Lemon, Raspberry and Chocolate buttercreams.
Macaroons (French Style)
Delicate meringue filled with buttercreams, ganaches or jams. A classic French sandwich cookie that is a must on any petit four tray!
Financier
These delicious, traditional Parisian petit fours are truly something special. Tonight’s features include plain with almond and Blueberry
White Chocolate Banana Cream Tarts
Fresh pastry filled with caramelized bananas, white chocolate mousse and garnished with white chocolate curls.
Festive Salad
Yield 10 Servings
10 oz. Arugula
5 oz. Pecans
2 TBSP Honey
2 oz. Dried Cherries
3 oz. Bleu Cheese Crumbles
Pomegranate Salad Dressing
Coat pecans in honey and toast. Mix all ingredients and top with Pomegranate Dressing.
8 oz Pomegranate Juice
1 cup Cranberry Juice
2 TBSP Honey
2 oz. Banyuls Vinegar
2 cups Virgin Olive Oil
Reduce Pomegranate Juice and Cranberry Juice to 2 cups, add honey and vinegar and mix in blender, pour olive oil in to emulsify.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs
20 Calmyrna Figs
10 oz. Goat Cheese (we prefer Elodie Farms)
3 tsp Fresh Thyme
Cracked Black Pepper and Lemon Sea Salt to taste
Chestnut Honey
Mix goat cheese, chopped thyme and salt and pepper. Stuff figs and roast at 425 for about 10 minutes, until bubbly. Remove from heat and drizzle with Chestnut Honey.
Beef Tenderloin Roasted with Rosemary and Basil
Serves 10
5 lbs Beef Tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 cup Worstershire Sauce
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
Make a marinade out of the first four ingredients and marinade meat for 2 hours. Spread with Dijon and sprinkle with herbs. Roast at 350 until internal temperature reads 120. Slice and serve with Au Jus.
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin with Manchego Cheese
Yield: 12 servings
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 pound peeled butternut squash, quartered lengthwise*
1 pound peeled and trimmed sweet potatoes**
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cups shredded Manchego cheese (or Gruyère)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small pot bring cream and garlic just to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Butter a 9″x13″ shallow casserole dish or gratin dish of similar size and set aside. Stir the cooling cream to help prevent skin from forming. Build the Gratin in the buttered casserole dish, spread half of the sliced butternut squash out in a single overlapping layer. Sprinkle the squash with 1/3 of the salt, pepper, and thyme and then about 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Using half of the sliced sweet potatoes, build a new overlapping layer. Again sprinkle with 1/3 of the seasonings and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Using the remaining squash, make another layer and sprinkle the last third of the seasonings and another 1/2 cup of cheese (you should have about 1/2 cup cheese remaining). Use the last of the sweet potatoes to make one final layer on top. Stir the garlic cream mixture then pour it evenly over the top of the gratin, being sure to cover the top layer of sweet potatoes. Shake the dish gently to distribute the cream. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake the Gratin: Cover the dish with foil and bake in the middle of a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, move the gratin to the top 1/3 of the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. You may also place it under the broiler for a few minutes if you wish the top to be a deeper brown (but watch it closely!). Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing. *
Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes
Serves 24
1 1/2 cup cake flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup plain lowfat yogurt
1 3/4 Cup canned pumpkin (15 oz. can)
1 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup lightly-packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the yogurt, pumpkin, vinegar, and vanilla extract, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Alternately beat in the flour and pumpkin mixtures in thirds (for example, beat in 1/3 flour mixture followed by 1/3 pumpkin mixture and repeat until everything is combined). Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
Working quickly, spoon batter into cupcake cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Place cupcake pans in the center of the preheated 350 degree oven and bake approximately 25 minutes. Cupcakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes then remove cupcakes from pans and let cool completely on the wire racks. While cupcakes are cooling, prepare cream cheese frosting (recipe follows). When cupcakes are completely cool, spread with frosting.
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 Cup unsalted butter, softened
2 Cup powdered sugar
1/4. t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. fresh ground nutmeg
In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If frosting is too soft, chill in fridge for 15-20 minutes.
